BBC Verify analyses attacks on the French railway network

After several arson attacks paralyzed the French rail network in the run-up to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris, BBC Verify has assessed the damage.

French railway company SNCF said its high-speed network had been the target of “malicious acts” aimed at bringing the system to a standstill.

Images of emergency repairs at three different locations across the country show that the vandalism took place in the north, east and west of Paris, but also suggest that the destruction may have targeted key points where railway lines intersect or are diverted.